Bailey Gwynne Murder Trial Latest

1 March 2016, 18:36 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A teenager died after being knifed in the heart during a fight at his school, a murder trial has heard.

Bailey Gwynne, 16, was fatally injured at Cults Academy in Aberdeen in October last year.

Witnesses have begun giving evidence at the High Court in the city, where a youth is accused of murdering the school boy.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies the charge.

Sobs were heard in court as details of the incident on October 28 were given at the start of the trial, which is expected to last up to five days.

The jury was read a statement containing facts agreed by prosecutors and the defence. It said: "The accused became engaged in a fight with Bailey Gwynne... in the course of which Bailey Gwynne was struck on the body with a knife by the accused, thereby causing his death.''

The court heard Bailey suffered a "penetrating wound to the heart'' and a post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be the result of a "penetrating stab-force injury to the chest''.

A witness who saw the fight broke down in tears twice as he was asked about how an argument started between Bailey and the accused.

He said Bailey had some biscuits and another boy wanted one, then Bailey and the accused began name-calling and punching each other.

He said he did not remember who started it, and defence counsel Ian Duguid QC produced a statement which the witness, who cannot be identified, gave to police after the incident.

A passage read to court said:"(The accused) said something like your mum's fat, then Bailey lashed out at him.

"Bailey grabbed hold of (the accused) and pushed him about. (The accused) started to defend himself and they've started grappling.''

Asked by Mr Duguid: "Is this the way it was?,'' the witness said: ``I think so.''

In Tuesday's evidence he said the accused pulled out a knife or sharp object from a pocket inside his jacket.

He said: "It went into Bailey.''

Computing teacher Alasdair Sharp, 28, said he saw the two engaged in ``what looked to be a scuffle''.

The witness said they were grabbing each other and a couple of punches were thrown.

He said: "I asked them what was going on. One of them said 'he called my mother fat'.''

The teacher led the two along a communal area known as 'the Street' towards an office.

Mr Sharp said: "As I got to towards the end of the Street I turned around and I saw Bailey staggering towards the wall.

"(The accused) was a wee bit behind him, was moving towards him looking like he was going to help him.

He said Bailey made it to the wall and he noticed he was very pale.

He told the court: "At this point I noticed the trail of blood going along the Street, where we'd come from.''

Mr Sharp said: ``He became very pale and there was a lot of blood coming out of him.

"To begin with he seemed fairly coherent but as events unfolded he began to lose consciousness.''

The accused denies murdering Bailey and being in possession of knives or bladed instruments and two knuckledusters at Cults Academy on occasions between August 1 2013 and the day of the alleged murder.

The trial, before Lady Stacey, continues on Wednesday.